that you can convey so much information and beauty "very quickly, and with no initial sketching beforehand," and so much detail with so few colors and brushstrokes . . . my mind boggles at your talent, truly.

I do pencil sketches on rare occasions, and sometimes come up with something I'm happy with, but it takes sooooooo long, because I draw and erase, and draw and erase . . . I don't even want to think about trying something with a medium that can't be erased . . .

Thanks for showing us these. I would love to join you on a future sketching tour if I can figure out how to afford it. For now I'll just periodically gaze wistfully at your website.

"I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it."

to disclose the artist of the other map on my wall. She has been shy about it being so humble but i wanted to you to know about it after you noticed it. It is the work of a very special person in my eyes. It was Elven's wonderful color version of Middle-earth of the Third Age. It really is beautiful work. It was a gift from her after i obtained a signed copy of 'The Children Of Hurin' for her one chilly morning in NYC. She did not have to do that. She is most gracious spirit. ''What connects Nature to the spiritual, or requires the presence of the latter? In positive terms, as Alkis Kontos points out, when nature was still largely experienced as integral, alive and active, 'It was the spiritual dimension of the world, its enchanted, magical quality that rendered it infinite, not amenable to complete calculability; spirit could not be quanified; it permitted and invited mythologization.' And I would add, it still is and does.'' Patrick Curry-Defending Middle-Earth-Tolkien: Myth and Modernity - chapter: 'The Sea: Spirituality and Ethics.'

May the grace of Manwë let us soar with eagle's wings! In the air, among the clouds in the sky Here is where the birds of Manwe fly Looking at the land, and the water that flows The true beauty of earth shows With the stars of Varda lighting my way In all the realms this is where I stay In the realm of Manwë Súlimo

Sohaibs Anniversary Message sent out on the Internet Airwaves to tORN
[In reply to]

Can't Post

Hi tORNsibs I have just been listening to Fictional Frontiers on internet radio, and here’s a lovely tribute and congratulations to tORN that Sohaib mentioned on the radio for all the tornsibs here ...

Sohaib: “I wanted to mention something of great importance...This week, or I should say this weekend, is the 10th Anniversary of theOneRing.net, and as you know they’ve been working with us over the last year providing so much information, so much relevant information about the Lord of the Rings Franchise and anything and everything related to Tolkien, Peter Jackson, you name it – you know, even about things in general in respect to the Fantasy Film genre. And I just wanted to say ‘Congratulations’ to them on a very personal note. They’ve done an amazing job and all credit to them! They’re getting accolades from around the world – Guillermo del Toro, the Team at WETA, everyone’s acknowledged what they’ve done, and I think that it’s very rare where you find people so passionate like Chris, Mike, Larry and everyone at theOneRing – and of course Deleece, I want to make a special shout to Deleece, who has been doing all the transcribing over the last year of all our interviews and you know, without her, probably we here at Fictional Frontiers wouldn’t be able to get these segments out to many, many people because they don’t have the opportunity to listen to our show live. But in any event, I just wanted to say Congratulations to theOneRing.net – an amazing, amazing job, and I’m hoping for another 10, 20, 30 years – as long as there’s online conversation, as long as there’s the internet, there will be theOneRing.net, and I hope that they continue to get what they deserve which is the highest praise! Great job, my friends – and they really are our friends – and I want to say that everyone here at Fictional Frontiers owes them a great deal and we’re so happy to be part of that Fellowship.”Sohaib Awan - host of Fictional Frontiers - Sunday 26th April, 09.You’re a gem Sohaib!Many thanks!!Elven xAnd just something from me: may I add to that and say Thank-you – to Sohaib and The Powers That Be – Xoanon, Calasuri, and MrCere, for being so cool about allowing the transcripts to go up, and forgiving me on all the mistakes - And thank-you to the tORNsibs who read them every episode and post about the news – it is a joy, a privilidge, and a pleasure to be able to do this and to contribute to theOneRing.net in whatever way that I can – Cheers and thanks guys!Elven xSwishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

As the story goes ... I was googling 'LOTR' one day for a nice avatar - and there he was, Liberace! - with all those Rings on, and I couldnt stop laughing - the title said 'Lord of The Rings' ... and so that was the avatar I chose ...

Now as for my new avatar ... which will be coming up soon - thought I'd go for something a bit firecrackery ... but could decide between Billy Boyd of Phyllis Diller

I knew you'd be thrilled ... LOL!!

Cheers Magpie Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

What those four created has let many of *us* also know about *you* -- to our benefit! Lúthien Rising All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. / We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

I saw Doug at a book signing in Mishawaka, IN many hears ago, and then again at the Marquette conference. I cherish my signed copy of The Annotated Hobbit and refer to it often. Thanks for sending the message, Doug!

What a glorious weekend this has been! What a cause to celebrate......

I turned on my computer, looked in my Inbox and found none other than mega-talented director Guillermo del Toro, Oscar winner Richard Taylor, and the most brilliant movie effects/design team in all of Moviedom singing to me. Well, singing to all of us on TORn. It made me feel very proud and connected to a whole world of people I have loved for years.

FORGED BY FANS, FOR FANS. Lest we forget.

The roots of this amazing tree have taken hold deep in Arda, watered and nourished by fans who really love this stuff (like me).

It boggles the mind to think that 10 years ago Xoanon was fishing around for New Zealand photos with the assistance of a vibrant, plucky young woman named Tehanu. The mischief they sought to create was going to satisfy the biggest itch in Tolkien fandom, thought they did not know it at the time. In comes Calisuri, busy and brilliant, trying to make a clean website that's going to attract a worldwide audience. That ain't no easy trick. In comes Corvar -- magical prestidigitator of servers and bandwidth, the man who makes the damn thing actually WORK. Bring in a host of writers, special guests, contributors, artists, and Admins, all of them volunteering their time. Giving without expecting anything back, just the joy of the ride. All of them forging a special place on the Net that would eventually shake the foundations of Hollywood. Have you read the press we've gotten over the years?

No other Fan-driven endeavor would make a bigger mark on a high profile film franchise. Or would so effectively use the power of new media to further a community of people who love literature. The great stories of Professor Tolkien. Peter Jackson loved Tolkien as we did, so he became enamored with our quickly growing community as well. What a unique combination of attitudes -- literary, bookish, Tinseltown, blockbuster. Some kind of magic happened right under our very noses.

"When in doubt Meridoc -- always follow your nose."

10 years passes in the blink of an eye the way Ents reckon time. Seems to be true for Human time. I can't believe it has been a whole DECADE of blogs, spy reports, opinion polls, crazy red carpet interviews, struggles with a film studio, sneak attacks by Andy Serkis at fan conventions, two omnibus books of articles, and three hellzapoppin' Oscar Parties. Clean sweep of 11 Awards..... How the room EXPLODED when they won Best Picture! Oh, and there was a little thing we did called "Ringers: Lord of the Fans," which encapsulated 50 years of Western popular culture and its response to Tolkien.

Of all the fan communities ever conceived -- look what TheOneRing.net has wrought! So I congratulate the Powers that Be on a wonderful day. Happy Birthday, Mister Baggins. Happy Anniversary to you all and congrats on a fantastic thing.

I'm grateful to Xo for bringing me on board. And especially being entrusted to write for you from all those wonderful places. These people are gold, these Ringers. I have met the kindest, most creative folks over the years across the globe, and I acknowledge you all. You've been so kind to me, and shared so much great energy, shown such patience with me, and made this youngling Ent feel alive again. THANK YOU!

I look forward to volunteering and contributing again over the next few years, if you'll have me. Humbled at all times by the gentle affection TheOneRing.net has for this group of Hobbit-fanciers and Elvish ladies and sturdy Gondorian princes, I'm so glad to be part of it. Thank you sincerely.

I shouldn't post before fully waking up. Sir, I want to thank you for taking the time to answer so many questions so applicably. I've learned a lot today. Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!

Thank you for your own work on this site, Cliff, and all of the work that you have done for the fandom. I am a frequent participant of gatherings in SoCal and your enthusiam is always infectious. I will never forget the premiere of the Ringers film, either- it was a pleasure to see that I had made a brief appearance in it!

With this sort of painting I enjoy depicting things by, well, not painting them! Like the gate here, which isn't painted at all - it's there only because bits of whatever's behind it have been painted in.

Looking at it again, I can now see that the entire painting is defined not just by what is on the page, but by where the page is blank. I think that's what drew me to it in the first place. I *like* the blank spaces as much as the ones that are painted; even the fact that the entire painting just fades away on each side.

You describe your thought processes so well. You must be a great teacher.

That pose is one of the things that really draws me to the painting. They're fascinating creatures. I was also drawn by the light and shadows of the NZ bush. I had the opportunity to walk some of the footpaths around Tane Mahuta this Christmas time with my husband, and it's really awe-inspiring. You captured the feeling of being there perfectly.